


Quick Death

by gala_apples



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Fights, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 22:24:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gala_apples/pseuds/gala_apples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seamus Finnegan and Logan meet in a bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quick Death

In third year Seamus's boggart is a banshee. The idea of hearing a warning song before dying sends shudders up his spine. If he's going to die then he sure as hell doesn't want to know when. He wants to die in a freak accident, or get smashed on the back of the head. He makes a promise to himself; if he ever hears a banshee outside his bedroom window he'll off himself immediately. No uncomfortable waiting, no useless worrying. 

When Seamus is eighteen, he finds out that a quick death is nothing to be wishing for. He's just finished a paid bar brawl, entertainment for the idiotic masses. He's failed miserably against the last man he's fought, meaning besides the twenty for getting beat on for three straight hours, he gets nothing. All shares of the better's money goes to the last man standing, which is definitely not him. 

It doesn't seem natural. He might not be a good boxer, but he's a good brawler. What he lacks in technique he can most certainly make up for in both enthusiasm and pain threshold. This man, this Wolverine; he's the first person that has ever caused him pain. Seamus has gotten into so many fistfights his knuckles are calloused and scarred, but he never notices. Dripping blood, and the only way he knows is by tasting it when he rubs his hand over his face to move the sweat. But punching this man hurts.

It's immoral, but he needs the money. The only money he has is by living off this betting pool. It's bad enough that he'll soon need to move on, the tavern is running out of people stupid enough to wager against him. But to actually lose? It's unconscionable. 

The man is sitting at the bar, drinking a stein of shitty beer. Seamus passes by him, and with a barely audible word, whispers "Accio wallet!" The man's wallet zooms into his hand. The best thing, probably the _only_ good thing about hanging around so many drunkards is if he does do a spot of magic, they chalk it up to a drunken hallucination. He's eighteen now, and the Ministry has more important things to worry about than him.

There are vaguely disgusting beds available for rent behind the tavern, for truckers taking in one too many to pull off sober. Every night he does a cleansing charm and tries his best to sleep with his mouth closed so bugs don't crawl inside. Wallet carefully tucked inside his pocket, Seamus leaves the bar for his room. No sense in sticking around to see the man come to the realization someone has stolen his wallet.

Except something is terribly wrong. He's only a foot outside the door when a fist is jammed into his stomach and he nearly vomits the Grade C bar food. "Live as long as I have, you're not my first wizard. Think I don't know a summoning spell. Give it back, and I won't kill you."

Seamus panics, does his best not to show it. His hand scrabbles into his pocket, and he procures the leather for the man. Once he can breathe without choking he manages to ask "If you're not a wizard, how did you know I was? Would you really kill someone?" Fighting he understands. Killing, he doesn't. It's an Unforgivable for a reason.

"Your community is so full of itself. Thinks it's the only odd thing in the world. And yes, I would. Have before." His fist moves, but something decidedly sharper is poking into the same area of stomach. Seamus looks down. The man has metal knives coming out of his hand! If he had punched with those, instead of bare fingers, Seamus would be dead right now. 

No, not being aware of possible death until after the fact is no better than having a warning beforehand.


End file.
